USA Today have an article up talking about Kevin Smith’s next movie Zack and Miri Make A Porno, speculating that audiences will stay away from the film because the word “porno” is in the title.
I kinda disagree. Remember Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, a $300 million+ worldwide just nine years ago?
If anything the title will help the film. After all, the main thing most guys use this fascinating invention known as the Internet is to view porn and that industry is still striving with DVD and now High-Definition DVD sales. And it’s not like the R-rated comedies The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Superbad where all big hits recently, all having an appearance from Seth Rogen – one of them with him in the lead.
Here’s our first look at Zack and Miri Make A Porno, which stars Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as friends (not lovers) in desperate need of money who decided to shoot an amateur film and sell it to the neighbourhood to get out of their troubles. Presumably here they are scouting for their porno co-stars, or taking notes from a stripper…
“What’s weird about it is, it’s dirty. But it’s so incredibly sweet,” Smith says, noting that Porno will be rated R (obviously, there’s no actual porn in it). Banks says grown-ups are mature enough for immature jokes. “These kinds of comedies, these sweet and sexy comedies, have all started to push the envelope. This movie takes it even further, that’s definitely true. But if you’re over 15 years old … you know what sex is, and in comedy you’re always trying to find those taboos that you can break for a laugh. Sex in America is a huge one.”
Awesome. I’m really hopeful for this one. I like the two leads. I’m coming off only the second Kevin Smith film I can honestly say I really enjoyed (Chasing Amy being the other) and I think the plot is really neat. Rogen’s on fire right now as a comedic actor, I would expect this to be Smith’s biggest hit yet (Dogma & Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back hold that record right now with a final gross of $30 million each)and certainly his most mainstream, despite the word “Porno” in the title.
4 Comments
Sounds great and with Chasing Amy being my favorite movie EVER, I really hope this will turn out better than Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back which was his worst movie…though one could say that with Clerks 2 he got back on track, at least kind of.
Can’t wait. I dig the work of Smith a lot (Especially Chasing Amy and Clerks 2) and Seth Rogen..well, its Seth Rogen!
Kevin Smith 4 president!
I’m a fan of Smith, but I can’t say that I think he’s a terribly giften filmmaker. I think his films are often underdeveloped and rely too much on a sense of shock that isn’t really generated. He claims to be ‘pushing the envelope’ with ‘Zack and Miri,’ but based on his recent works and where he may consider the envelope to be these days, I just don’t know if he knows the score.
I mean, I think we’re past thinking it’s funny to see nerds arguing over Star Wars and LOTR – maybe Rogen will bring some Appatowisms to the set and they’ll toss in a dialog about Back to the Future being the only true ‘holy trilogy’ (I can hope, eh?).
I’m hoping that Smith’s lack of flavor lies mostly with his casting choices, which could be the case. Mallrats was one of his most enjoyable films, and I attribute that to the surprising performance from the then-fresh Jason Lee. I trust that Rogen can make the film watchable as I’ve thoroughly enjoyed his work thus far – but – after seeing him host SNL I know how sloppy directing can affect his performances.
I’ll cross my fingers and hope that Smith knows what he’s doing. I’d love to love the film, if that makes sense.